


thorns in her heart

by lyse_hext



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/F, Gay Panic, Gen, ITS A FRIENDSHIP FIC, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Purely self indulgent writing, as well as Lots of appearances from free company friends, for now....., i'm sorry it's not a friendship fic, idk like some npcs show up but i mostly just wanted lyse, it really isn't, other characters show up, we'll see where this goes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-03-20 03:42:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18984535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lyse_hext/pseuds/lyse_hext
Summary: Lyse uncovers the mystery that is the colleague and friend, Nymphaea Xe'a. After various discoveries, she finds that maybe it would have been better to leave some things as mysteries.





	1. baby steps

**Author's Note:**

> or in other words, I wrote a purely self indulgent fanfic involving my friends pissing around and Lyse being dragged into whatever shit they decided to pull. And also I'm making my WoL suffer because I'm an angsty mess

It was odd. She placed her faith, time and time again, in an individual she barely knew anything about. Of course, since the day she met the Miqo’te adventurer, she had bountiful questions pricking her ever curious mind. But she never pried. No, it was not her place. If Minfilia trusted her, she would trust her. Even if she found the girl to be a walking question mark. If she were more reckless, she’d bombard her with the questions that burned within her. How old are you? Where did you come from? Did you live in a clan? Where do you live? Why did you start adventuring? Who actually are you? Why is your name the way it is?

Nymphaea Xe’a. Interesting, she found, that her family name seemed like a Miqo’te name, and yet her given name was so… different to the naming conventions of other races. She hadn’t thought of the fact that she didn’t have a Miqo’te-esque name. But was that so surprising? Foreign adventurers seemed to be their own brand of weird. Lyse had theories. She thought it may have been a stretch, but it could have made sense. She could be part of some elusive, high class family sent to do good in the world. She could have been fifth born in some distant, faraway royal family and escaped the neglect of being born so low in the line of succession-

She shook her head. Of course her mind would wander to romanticising and glamorising Nymphaea’s imagined backstory. But the desire to know slowly sucked her in more and more until her curiosity nigh imploded within her. 

But what if she pushed away her Miqo’te friend with her incessant questions?

She was in no position to pry; to search for answers or history about the mysterious Warrior of Light who had fallen upon their lap, sent to do their bidding. She had no place in questioning her and asking of her background. After all, Lyse was the one who had spent the last six years covering her entire identity and posing as Yda. She was the one who had lied to her entire circle of colleagues for years. Lied to those who simply wanted the best for her. What right did she have to ponder upon the story of their trusted friend? 

But she wondered, and wondered, to the point where it kept her awake at night. She tossed over in her fluffy feather bed and wondered. Her body unable to keep still, her mind unable to rest, she left her inn room and proceeded to wander New Gridania. She reminisced on her times with Papalymo, working day and night to protect the realm from Primals and other evil forces. Things were simpler then. 

Gods, the dull ache in her heart, the twisting, burning knife of pain continuously reminded her of the absence of her most trusted friend. Not only did she feel the pain of losing Papalymo as a burden on her heart, but she truly had to face the loss of her sister now. She felt as if she could keep Yda alive in doing what she was doing. But it only made it more obvious that she couldn’t, and all she did was prolong her grief. And now, with all her secrets in the air, she wondered about the other Scions. What secrets did they keep inside them? Do they as well have pain within them, hidden from the eye of their colleagues, buried under years of suppressed memories? 

She was snapped from her thoughts by the feeling of a presence beside her, taking a seat on the bench beside the Plaza. She perhaps would have screeched in fright, jumping up to punch the person who frightened her out of existence. But she was not frightened. 

“Hey, Nymphaea.” She offered a slightly forced smile. 

The cotton candy haired girl looked over at her, her milky white skin glittering against the glow of the Aetheryte. “Good evening.” She returned, her voice small, soft. It never failed to generate curiosity just how small and childlike her voice was, as if she was still a young girl. 

“I suppose you can’t sleep either, huh?” Lyse conversed, leaning back to observe the Aetheryte. 

Nymphaea shook her head. “I don’t sleep well at night. I prefer to wander.” She barely missed a beat before getting to the point. She wasn’t one to beat around the bush. “You’re upset. Would you like to talk about it?” 

Lyse looked at her and sighed. “I’m just feeling a bit overwhelmed, you know? Losing Papalymo has taken a big hit on me.” 

Nymphaea was silent before she dropped her head slightly. “I remember when I first met you and Papalymo. You were with that little Moogle. I remember thinking, those two make such a great combo.”

“You still remember all the way back then?” Lyse gasped, covering her mouth with surprise. 

“I do. You truly made an impact on me then. You and Papalymo both.” She looked over, her bi-coloured eyes sparkling. “Once I joined the Scions, despite being too afraid to really speak to anyone, I’d watch you train and spar with Papalymo. I thought you were both incredible.” 

Lyse was speechless, unable to form a sentence. Not that she would, it seemed as if Nymphaea had quite a lot to say. It was a surprise, the little Miqo’te rarely spoke much at all, aside from giving reports to whoever asks a job of her. 

“I thought to myself, they’re powerful together. They’re powerful separately. Why does Yda attached herself to Papalymo so much? The other Scions so often do their duties alone.” She smiled gently. “I was curious. But I didn’t pry. If it were in my future to know, I would find out eventually.” She reached over, gently taking Lyse’s hand. “Lyse, it must hurt dearly to lose Papalymo. He was a wonderful man, a mentor to us all. But you must carry on and finish what he started. You must keep going for him, and ensure his sacrifice was not for nothing.” 

Lyse nodded. She knew that, she had been telling herself that, but something felt so reassuring hearing it from Nymphaea. It felt so comforting, like a blanket of warmth. 

“You are stronger than you know.” 

“Thank you.” 

They sat in silence. Nymphaea considered releasing Lyse’s hand at some point, but along the lines of her thoughts, she had forgotten. Thus, the two continued to embrace the silence, and the comfort of subtle affection. 

\--

Lyse sat at a table in the chirpy and bright Carline Canopy, across from her Y’shtola. Together, they shared a pot of tea while discussing whatever it is that popped into their minds. Y’shtola was, for the most part, silently listening to Lyse bumble away about a particularly large Goobbue she insisted she took down with just her two, bare fists. 

The story was unbelievable, but Y’shtola humoured her for the sake of entertainment. The conversation took an intense dip as Lyse eyed their Miqo’te adventurer friend, who silently checked into an inn room, without so much as a glance in the direction of the others. She looked positively exhausted, so the two women instead sipped their cups of tea in silence. 

“I’ve been thinking.” Lyse began. 

“Oh, Gods. Do you have a headache, dear Lyse?” Y’shtola subtly teased. 

“Shtola.” Lyse pouted, placing her teacup down. “I’m serious.” 

“Yes, do go on. Indulge me.” 

“How old do you think Nymphaea is?” 

Y’shtola halted, her ears flicked in subtle surprise. She lowered her teacup and watched Lyse for signs of emotion in her face. Or signs of teasing, banter, something. No, she was serious. “From my observations, I’d believe somewhere between the Levellieur twins and mine own age. Why do you ask?” 

Lyse shook her head. “Just curious.” 

Y’shtola eyed her with suspicion, unwilling to accept such a bland response. “Lyse?” 

Lyse sighed. “Fine, okay. I just really want to know. She’s so secretive! It makes me wonder, we trust her with our lives and the safety of Eorzea but we don’t even know if she’s from Eorzea. We don’t know anything about her besides her name, Nymphaea Xe’a, which might I add, from my very limited knowledge of Miqo’te culture, is a very odd name!” 

“T’is obvious, is it not? If you move one letter over from her second name, it becomes a Seeker name. X’ea. Mayhaps she is of a mixed tribe.” Y’shtola explained simply. 

“Why does it have to be such a secret? I want to find out about her!” Lyse huffed, folding her arms. 

“Now now, be patient. You spent six years hiding behind your sister’s mask. She too can hold her secrets, until she’s ready. If she is ever ready.” Y’shtola downed the rest of her cup and arranged their used teaware neatly before excusing herself. “I must go study now. There is much to read up on before we depart for Ala Mhigo. I suggest you rest, from the looks of you, I’d say you haven’t slept adequate as of late.” 

Lyse nodded, and bid Y’shtola farewell. She dropped a few gil on the table before retreating upstairs to her inn room. She was staying just across from Nymphaea, and found herself standing in front of her door for one or two moments, pondering whether or not she should disturb the adventurer. She looked drained beyond belief, shouldn’t she let her rest? She held a fist to the door, debating on knocking.

The door flung open before she could make a decision. Her eyes met a mop of blue and pink hair, then lowered to meet Nymphaea’s gaze. She looked exhausted, still, but now she wore charming pink dungaree shorts over a black bathing suit. She had even cleaned the dirt and muck off her face and body, and touched up her makeup. If not for the amount of time she spent around the girl, she wouldn’t be able to tell upon second look that she was exhausted. But she knew, she saw it and she felt it in the way she held herself. 

She gave a small smile and a wave. “Good evening, Lyse. Did you need something of me?” She asked, brushing a lock of her hair from her face. 

“Oh. Uh. Yes- uhm. No!” She smiled awkwardly. “Where- sorry, where are you heading out to at this hour?” 

Nymphaea gave a reassuring smile. “I’m headed to Costa del Sol to meet with some friends from my free company.” Lyse felt silly for worrying as gravely as she was. She just didn’t want to push the girl too much, or smother her, or make her feel like she was trying to pry-

“Lyse?” The Miqo’te asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“Oh, what? Sorry, I kind of…” She shook her head, trying to clear her brain. 

Nymphaea reached over and squeezed her forearm gently. “It’s okay. You seem like you need some time away from here. I was simply asking, would you like to join me in relaxing with my friends? I’m sure they won’t mind you joining.” 

Lyse halted for a moment. Hang out with Nymphaea and her friends? She didn’t even know she HAD friends. She knew she was in a free company, but she rarely spent time away from the Scions for her to make friends. “Yeah, yeah sure! I’d love to join you. Just give me a minute to change into something swim worthy.” 

Nymphaea nodded, stepping beside Lyse and shutting the door behind her. She was exceptionally close and Lyse stepped away instinctively, feeling a tad awkward. Nymphaea, for a moment there, seemed to have no concept of personal space. She turned, dashed into her room and rushed to get ready.


	2. it's that simple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lyse meets Nymphaea's friends from Yggdrasil and finds she's in for a shock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im just here for rum aunt lona

She was barely a few minutes before she was dashing out to meet Nymphaea. She almost crashed into the girl, who had barely taken a few steps in the time it had taken Lyse to get ready. The two left Gridania and arrived at Costa del Sol just as Nymphaea’s companions were setting up their site by the shore. Nymphaea walked ahead, running over with a big grin upon her face. Her companions were a very large Roegadyn man, an ungodly tall Elezen woman, two tiny Au’ra women, one perhaps the same size as Nymphaea and the other slightly taller, and a unique looking Miqo’te-Hyur. Lyse was quick to greet Hymwolk Iyrnfystsyn, the Roegadyn, who she was all too familiar with. Not even her spine-rupturing punches could get through that man’s defences. 

“Well, I’m glad you know Hymwolk. That guy’s my best friend.” Nymphaea smiled, basically climbing her way up his tree trunk thick arms. She crawled her way up so that she could settle on his shoulders. He didn’t seem to mind, in fact he almost welcomed it. 

“Hey! You never let me sit on your shoulders!” The smaller Au’ra woman called out in frustration. She gently smacked Hymwolk, the Roe man barely flinching. Whatever impact she had made seemed to not affect him at all. 

“That’s Altani Dravania.” Nymphaea explained to Lyse as Hymwolk and Altani began bickering. Apparently, Hymwolk needed to keep the line between student and master, lest their relationship become inappropriate. As he proceeded to lift her and throw her into a pile of soft cushions sprawled along the floor of their space. Professional was not a word Lyse would use to describe the two's interactions, especially as Altani launched herself from the pillows into the man's stomach, declaring that she would destroy him.

“The Elezen is Nymeia Aetheria, and the cutie next to her is Kieran Featherore. They're basically my parents. The Au'ra over there is Lona Yorida, we adore her.” Nymphaea explained, desperately clinging to Hymwolk’s head while he flung Altani around like a doll. 

Lyse was just a tad overwhelmed by the loud, rough behaviour of all those in the party. Lona walked over, glass of rum in hand and passed some ale to Lyse, who gladly accepted. After the last few days, she needed it. Lona nodded subtly before sitting back down, resuming her observation of the party. Once the roughhousing between Hymwolk and Altani became too much, Nymphaea flung herself off Hymwolk's shoulders and plopped into a soft beanbag. She pat the beanbag next to her, encouraging Lyse to take a seat. She accepted, deciding that perhaps it was better to stick by her side for a while. 

“So, you guys are all in a free company together?” She asked curiously. “How long have you been together like this?”

“I've only been around for a month or two. These guys have been together for years. Kieran and Nymeia are actually bonded.” The two women shot double finger guns at Lyse. She must have let her face react before her brain could keep up, considering the questioning look Nymphaea was giving her. “Is something wrong?”

“Oh, I just. I didn’t know, I didn’t think that your friends are. Well, lesbians.” Lyse stuttered out. Was that rude? “Not that there’s any problem with that, I support that!”

The group burst into laughter and Nymphaea gently squeezed her shoulder. “Lyse, you’re so cute. Pretty much everyone in this group is gay to some degree. We’re all certain Hymwolk and General Raubahn have been up to interesting things behind closed doors.”

“Quiet, Phae!” Hymwolk barked, throwing a cushion at her.

It took a beat for Lyse to fully catch up to what was being said. “Wait, Nymphaea.”

“You can call me Phae.”

“Phae, does that mean you’re also gay?” She questioned.

The group fell silent. Then Hymwolk roared with laughter. Lyse shrunk back into the beanbag, a deep crimson blush staining her cheeks. “She is the most gay of us all. Don’t be fooled by her being single!” His eyes flicked to Altani for half a second, who huffed, then proceeded. “She is her own breed of lesbian.”

“I think it’s because she’s single that she’s the gayest of us all.” Lona added.

Lyse definitely didn’t miss the way Altani shrank back from the conversation, eyes following the movements of Phae. The Miqo’te met the eyes of the Au’ra for a split second, seemingly unaffected by the woman’s nervousness and allowed her eyes to fall back on Lyse.

“So, yeah. I like women, a lot.” Nymphaea shrugged.

“Too much. The FC are so tired of you and your shenanigans.” Kieran teased, walking over to ruffle her hair.

“Sh...enanigans?” Lyse wondered aloud. 

Altani snorted. “Best not to question it.” 

Lyse was not sure if she was enjoying learning more about Nymphaea, or whether she regretted seeing her silent friend so exposed. She did find that she was enjoying learning some things but another part of her felt odd seeing such a different side of her. After what felt like an eternity of simply watching the banter and fun between friends, Lyse finally cracked open the ale handed to her by Lona. When initially handed to her, she had the urge to ask for something stronger. Now that she had taken simply a sniff of the liquid, she was glad she didn’t. Whatever ale this was, it had a strong odour to it. She took a quick swig and just about gagged at the taste. 

The group were looking at her, anticipating such a reaction. Nymphaea gave her a kind smile. “If you can’t finish it, it’s fine.” 

“It’s Ygg’s special brew.” Nymeia began, her voice lilted in amusement. “Strong stuff. A few of us love to get hammered when unwinding.” 

She took another sip before she shook her head and passed the bottle to Nymphaea. She took smaller sips rather than the heavier swigs Hymwolk and Altani were taking. Altani, despite her small size, held herself well in chugging a bottle down without so much as a twitch. 

After only half a bottle, Kieran pried the bottle from the Miqo’te’s hand. “Hey, enough of that.” 

“Awwww, c’mon Kier.” Nymphaea whined, giving an adorable pout to the older Miqo-Hyur. Lyse held back her reaction this time, but she was surprised to see Nymphaea giving so much emotion so freely. Just how much did she hold back around the Scions? Moreso, why did she hold back so much around the Scions? 

“As the baby of the group, you mustn’t drink more than you can handle.” Kier scolded, handing the bottle to Altani, who gladly took it on. 

“The baby? How old are you, Nymphaea?” Lyse asked, forgetting all formality. 

“Subtle.” Hymwolk teased, stealing a sip of Lona’s rum while she wasn’t paying attention. Lona obviously noticed, but chose not to comment. 

“Sorry. Forgive me for being rude, I didn’t know. All these moons of knowing you and I never found out how old you are.” Lyse mumbled sheepishly. 

“I’m twenty.” She responded with the tiniest of smirks. “Not entirely an infant as Alisaie and Alphinaud-” 

“Don’t you talk badly of my children.” Kieran warned. 

“-but alas, still young in comparison to my companions.” 

Lyse nodded. She felt almost relieved now, chipping away at the mystery of Nymphaea. After a short while more of banter, Nymphaea stood and shamelessly stripped out of her dungarees to leave herself in simply her black swimsuit. 

“I’m going in to swim.” She announced casually, leaving Lyse alone with the others. But as she watched Nymphaea step away, her blue tail swinging side to side, she felt the sudden urge to jump up and follow her. She too stripped out of her cover up, running to catch up with Nymphaea. She heard what could possibly have been a humorous comment from one of their companions, but she chose to ignore it. She slowed to a walk beside the Miqo’te. 

“I’m discovering a lot about you today, Phae.” Lyse commented casually. 

“Indeed you are. I get the feeling your opinion of me might have changed.” Nymphaea spoke, her voice sadder than she had wanted. 

“It’s not a bad thing! I… kind of enjoy seeing this side of you. You’re so serious, so quiet, so stoic all the time. I never knew you had this side of you.” 

They stood at the shore, letting the water pool around their ankles before retreating back with the tide, a hypnotic and mesmerising motion. 

“Work is work.” She shrugged simply. “When I’m with you, and the Scions, I’m the Warrior of Light. I have the weight of the world upon my shoulders. I have to be serious, because if I allow myself to be… myself, there could be lives on the line. Our lives. My life.” Nymphaea explained. Again, Lyse simply listened to her speak, embracing hearing so much of her talking. With confirmation of her age, she could sense the maturity in her words through the thickness of her cute, childlike voice. 

“When I’m with my friends, when I’m with Hymwolk and Altani, with Nymeia and Kieran and Lona, I’m just Nymphaea. I can be myself. That’s why tonight, you’ve seen such a different side of me.” She continued. 

She stared away into the distance, at the sky that began to turn orange with the sun that descended behind the horizon. The sunset in Costa del Sol was its own kind of beautiful, a sight that left Lyse breathless no matter how many times she witnessed it. She could feel the chill of the evening breeze ghosting along her skin, remnants of the heat of day whipping through the ocean breeze. The water was still warm, tempting her to crawl in further. But she stood by Nymphaea’s side, listening to the woman continue. 

“You have a lot of questions to ask me, don’t you?” She asked, reaching out to loop her arm with Lyse’s. “I kind of figured it’d come eventually. After all, I’ve known you just as long as I’ve known these friends from Yggdrasil. You’re bound to wonder why I do what I do, and why I am the way I am.” 

“I do. I have a lot of questions. I feel like a bad friend. Or colleague, whatever we are. I wonder why I never knew these things that must be so important to who you are as a person.” Lyse thinks aloud. The alcohol in her system seemed to make her ramble more.

“Because no one has ever thought to ask, Lyse.” Nymphaea broke her gaze upon the sunset to look up at Lyse, who looked so magical in the orange glow. “And I’d like you to know that I do consider you a friend, as well as a colleague. I wouldn’t have invited you today if I didn’t think of you as more than a colleague, and as a friend.” 

Lyse almost felt guilty. Was it really as simple as just asking Nymphaea the questions? Was it rude, or too much for her to ask? She didn’t know where the boundaries were, didn’t know where to stop or what was too much to ask. 

“You… don’t mind if I ask you questions?” Lyse asked timidly, meeting Nymphaea’s eyes. 

“Well, there are some questions I’d be opposed to answering. Questions where I don’t entirely feel confident in disclosing. Not yet, not now, and not while I’m aiming to relax. But… I’ll never be so upset by a question to despise you, or to turn you down in a blunt manner. So please, feel free to ask what burning questions you desire, and I’ll answer in whatever manner I see fitting.” Nymphaea gave a reassuring smile. 

She took a few tempting steps into the water, her body shivering at the water devouring her exposed skin, before she submerged herself until waist deep. She guided Lyse in with their linked arms before releasing her, standing in front of her. She didn’t break eye contact the entire time, and Lyse almost felt a flicker in her chest. Almost. 

“How about this? You can ask me only two questions tonight and I’ll answer them with full, clear honesty. Tomorrow, I’ll allow another two questions, and then the next day the same. It’ll continue on until you no longer have any questions for me.” Nymphaea offered, her hand outstretched to shake on it. 

Lyse accepted readily, taking her hand and shaking it firmly to confirm their agreement. Then her first question tumbled from her mouth before she could stop herself, already wasting one of her two questions. “Why are you named Nymphaea Xe’a? Like, don’t Miqo’te go by particular naming conventions?” 

Nymphaea almost burst into laughter at the question. “Lyse, have I mentioned that you’re adorable?” 

“Often.” She pouted. 

“Well, I’d like to mention it again.” She replied, reaching up to poke her jutted out bottom lip cheekily. “It’s simple. Keepers follow a different method of naming to Seekers. As you can tell from my appearance, I am a Keeper. However, my father was a Seeker.” She began, idly trailing her fingers through the water. Lyse took note of the 'was' but didn’t pry. Not yet, that would take up her second question, and she had other ideas for that. 

“My mother was a Keeper named Phaeha Yaab.” Another 'was'. “My father was a Seeker named X’ylka Tia. They were both adventurers, who met when my father returned to his tribe to visit. He found her injured nearby. He healed her up, they fell in love, and they made me. They named me X’ea Phaeha. But because of my father being a Tia it was… frowned upon, that he breeded. So they were sent away. Banished, from the Lynx tribe.” 

“So… your name is actually X’ea?” Lyse asked. 

“Yes. But let me finish. My parents were caught in an accident. Both of them died when I was 10. Before my mother succumbed to her injuries, she begged of me to make a new name for myself. She was worried that if I clung to the name, the name that my father gave me, I’ll become bitter. I’ll desire vengeance. That I won’t live my life peacefully travelling the world as our little family had wanted to from the moment I entered the world. She was worried I’ll seek destruction and a path of recklessness and forgetting that we only desired peace.” 

Nymphaea covered her mouth, and Lyse worried that she began crying. She reached out to lift her head to look at her, only to find that she was laughing instead. “What?” 

“Sorry, it just seems to funny. They wanted me to live a peaceful life, yet here I am having nightmares of almost being murdered on a daily basis. It’s fine. Anyway.” She calmed her giggles down before she continued. “I didn’t want to completely give my name away. After all, they were memories of my parents. But I obeyed my mother’s orders. When a woman took me in and became my pseudo mother, she suggested I take the name Nymphaea. It’s close to my mother’s name and means lily, which I think is pretty. And for a second name, I wanted to separate myself from the Lynx’s, but didn’t want to forget my father. So I simply moved the apostrophe over, and became Nymphaea Xe’a.” 

Lyse nodded, absorbing all that was told to her. “That was a very moving story. Thank you for sharing all of that with me, Phae.” Lyse smiled, taking her hand and squeezing. “I’m sorry you had to go through so much at a young age.” 

“Don’t worry about it. All adventurers need a traumatic experience in their past to harden them up for the dangers that lie ahead. It’s half the reason most people decide to become adventurers. If we all lived comfortable lives, why go out of our way to live a dangerous life?” Nymphaea began a philosophical tangent that Lyse, regrettably, tuned out of. She only snapped Nymphaea out of it when she made the unwise decision to splash water at her. 

“Oh it’s on.” Nymphaea growled, her cute voice far from anything resembling intimidating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE VERY LONG CHICKEN FIGHT IS NEXT


	3. chicken fight madness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nymeia and Lona versus Hymwolk and Altani versus Lyse and Nymphaea. 
> 
> Let the chicken fight begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i, the author, declare that hymwolk is too powerful

“Are you two having a water fight over there? I want in!” Hymwolk screamed, Altani trailing behind him. He dashed over and stood at the shore, waving to them before throwing himself into the water, the tiny Au’ra following along too. 

“Let’s play a game of Chicken Fight!” Altani roared with excitement. Such a small woman had such a powerful and loud voice, it wasn’t hard to tell that she was the student of the excessively loud Hymwolk. Lona, Kieran and Nymeia took to the shore and joined them in the water, standing around and nodding to join. 

“Lyse! You know how to play Chicken Fight, right?” Nymeia asked, noting her mildly surprised look. 

“Y-yeah! I’ve played it once or twice.” She smiled. “Shall we get into teams?” 

Altani screamed at the top of her lungs as she launched herself at Hymwolk, climbing up onto his shoulders before he could even protest. “Yes! I’ve got the big Roe! We will be indestructible!” 

Hymwolk, who had hoped to partner with Lyse who could surely destroy the others if they paired together, tried to shrug off his disappointment. “Very well. Remember the power of the left arm!” Hymwolk barked, steadying his hands on Altani's legs.

The others, with a little more tact, paired up. Lyse and Nymphaea chose each other without much consideration, while the Hyur-Miqo, Elezen and Au’ra deliberated a little longer.

“There’s three of us. One of us will have to ref.” Nymeia explained, tutting. 

An almost cheeky smirk spread across Kieran’s face as she eyed the Elezen woman. “Are we playing regular rules or our rules? I’ll ref if it’s our rules.” 

“I’d say our rules.” Hymwolk answered, his face scrunched up with mild dissatisfaction as Altani pulled a little too hard on his hair, trying to keep her balance. 

“What’s the difference between normal rules and your rules?” Lyse asked. 

Nymphaea smirked just as cheekily as Kieran. “The only rule is that breasts are off limits. Hitting or grabbing a boobs results in your team being disqualified for the round.”

"She's excited because it means she has an excuse to stare at my breasts the whole game." Nymeia winked at her wife teasingly and Kieran tried to cover the blush spreading across her cheeks.

After preparing themselves for battle and discussing their strategies, the three teams stood in a triangle formation further into the water so that Hymwolk was chest deep, Lyse was neck deep and Nymeia was somewhere between chest and neck. They stood sizing each other up, ready for Kieran in the middle to declare round one to begin. They had decided that the winning team would be given a thousand gil, while the team that came in last had to clean the FC entrance hall for the next two weeks. Four rounds, and if on the fourth round it ties, a tie breaker round will take place between those two teams. 

They all had their own reasons for wanting to win or not wanting to lose, however Nymphaea was especially determined not to come last. Her particular circumstances meant that she would be cleaning alone, and that Lyse was exempt from cleaning the FC entrance hall due to not actually being part of the FC. Lyse was determined to also not let her friend be subjected to even more work, when her attention was so desperately demanded in the Rising Stones. 

The arrangement saw Lona upon Nymeia’s shoulders, Altani upon Hymwolk’s shoulders and Nymphaea upon Lyse’s shoulders. Their plan was simple. Take down Hymwolk and Altani before they focussed on taking down Lona and Nymeia. But her attention was caught by Lona, who was making some sort of weird gesture with her hand. This caught the attention of Nymphaea, who squeezed her thighs against Lyse’s head to gain her attention. She also looked to Lona and Nymeia who were subtly outlining some sort of plan with them. 

A devilish smirk crossed the Hyur's and the Miqo’te’s faces. Kieran whistled to announce the beginning of the chicken fight. Immediately, Lyse and Nymeia charged towards Hymwolk and Altani. Nymphaea even graced their group with a magnificent battle cry that more resembled a kitten meowing. Lona and Nymphaea high fived before they attempted to crash their shoulders into Altani’s tiny frame. Hymwolk and his left arm of the Gods kicked in, blocking Nymphaea from being able to even get close to Altani. It was known within their group that Hymwolk possessed the ability to block just about anything with the strength of his left arm, and he scoffed at Nymphaea believing she could penetrate his defences of Altani. 

“Gahahaha! No one is touching my student today!” He roared with laughter, while Altani swatted away Lona and Nymphaea’s hands, keeping them arms length away. As Nymphaea tried to breach her defences once again, Hymwolk bumped her back with his arm. 

“Hang in there, Lyse!” Nymphaea cried out, tightening her thighs around her head while Lyse dug her toes into the sand, holding her position strong. Their balance worked well, and Nymphaea barely wavered. It was easy for her, Nymphaea barely weighed anything and held onto her well. 

Suddenly, Hymwolk squealed with laughter, his voice high pitched and shrill. He flung himself to the side, screaming with the surprising laughter that ripped straight from his chest. Altani clung for dear life, her fingers tangling through his hair and gripping with all of her might. But it was useless, whatever had suddenly struck Hymwolk with the giggles sent him flying backwards with a mighty splash, dunking the two of them underwater. Kieran popped out from underwater (to much surprise, as no one even noticed her submerge herself) to declare that it was all in fair play. 

After Hymwolk rose from the water, a terrifyingly grumpy look upon his face, he complained that such actions were “foul play” and “not allowed.” Altani was confounded, unaware of what had taken place. 

“Can someone please explain to me?” She asked, wringing the water from her black locks and flicking her dripping bangs from her face. 

“Nymeia tickled me, that dickhead!” Hymwolk cried out, jokingly shaking his fist angrily at the woman. “That can’t be allowed!” 

“The only rule is no titty tap. It’s entirely within the rules as long as she didn’t touch your boobs. And I saw no boob touches.” Kieran spoke, a hint of pride in her voice at how cunning her wife was. 

“You’re being biased towards your wife.” Hymwolk argued indignantly. 

“Stop being salty.” Altani teased, smacking his cheeks together. Hymwolk stayed quiet after that, opting to watch and cheer on Lyse and Nymphaea, unaware they were totally in on Nymeia’s plan from the beginning. 

Nymeia and Lona versus Lyse and Nymphaea. Easy enough, the Miqo’te and Hyur thought. But they were very far from easy. Lona put up a fight, and Nymeia seemed to have her feet cemented in the ground. After much pushing and shoving, Lona slipped up, her hand reaching to grab a hold of Nymphaea’s arm. Lyse had turned at that specific moment in such a way that Lona rammed her palm into the Miqo’te’s breast. The yelp, or yowl, whatever cat-like screaming that left Nymphaea’s body caused Lyse to shiver. She wasn’t even the one to have her breast crushed, but she felt it resonate throughout her. 

“I’m so sorry.” Lona apologised, holding the offending hand out in front of her as if it were tainted and evil. 

“My boob. My poor, tiny, barely existent boob.” Nymphaea sobbed, clutching the soft mound in her hand. 

“That was definitely a titty tap. Lona and Nymeia are disqualified this round.” Kieran announced, shooting a look of pity towards Nymphaea. 

The pain passed quickly and round two began. So far, Nymphaea and Lyse were first, Hymwolk and Altani second while Nymeia and Lona were third. Nymphaea was grateful that Nymeia and Lona weren’t too competitive and played in good spirit. She feared revenge for the accidental titty tap that lead to their disqualification. Nymeia and Lona feared more the wrath of Hymwolk, who had such a look of determination on his face that they were worried he would explode. 

Kieran hesitated, but nevertheless, whistled and announced the beginning of round two. She yelped as she submerged herself to avoid the wall of fury that was Hymwolk. Altani was barely able to keep herself rooted to his shoulders with the force in which he pushed himself through the water towards Nymeia and Lona. Without even a second of consideration, he tackled the two into the water. 

It was all completely fair, and in game. Kieran, dazed from being swept up in the tidal waves of Hymwolk’s fury, reemerged from the water. “Altani separated first, so that counts as Hym and Altani’s team losing first. Lyse and Phae are the winners of this round by default.” 

Lyse and Nymphaea raised their arms in the air with a small cheer, but quickly dropped them at the disgruntled look Lona and Altani shot their way. The two were still separated from their vehicles, who were tumbling around underwater in a strange aquatic wrestling match. It took Kieran, and Altani, and Nymphaea, and Lyse to separate the Roegadyn and the Elezen, whilst Lona watched on and egged on their playfight. 

“Asshole!” Hymwolk cried out, the humour of his playfighting and jesting evident in the playful smirk on his face. 

Nymeia was composed and calm, the faintest of smiles dancing across her features. “Better luck next time, bud.” 

The scores were as followed; Nymphaea and Lyse were first, while Hymwolk and Altani tied with Nymeia and Lona. At this point, there was a chance for a tiebreaker bonus round at the end of round four. Altani was calming Hymwolk down while crawling over him to settle on his shoulders, while Nymeia and Lona were scheming together. 

“Got a plan?” Nymphaea asked, resting her hands gently on top of Lyse’s head. Her dainty fingers brushed through her fringe affectionately, and Lyse took note. So her friend was also quite affectionate. She barely gave more than a comforting pat on the back usually. 

“None. I guess just keep doing what we’re doing? It’s claimed us two wins so far.” Lyse replied, squeezing Nymphaea’s lower legs. 

Nymphaea nodded determinedly. “Sounds good. Let’s do it.”

They stood in position once more, Lona with her arms folded over her chest, Altani bickering with Hymwolk and Nymphaea gently trailing her fingertips along Lyse’s forehead. Kieran waddled between the three vehicles, who were eyeing each other up, sizing up the competition. Kieran whistled, announcing the third round to begin. She swam away towards the outside of the three teams and observed their stalled actions. No one moved, no one breathed, no one dared make the first attack. 

Nymphaea looked between the two teams, then tapped Lyse on the head. She made a subtle gesture towards Nymeia and Lona. She took a few steps forward before Nymphaea splashed water in the face of the Elezen. While distracted by the saltwater threatening to enter her eyes, Nymphaea reached forward to shove Lona. Hymwolk ran over and Altani took the opportunity to shove Nymphaea, attempting to topple both. Two birds with one stone. Lyse tried to keep her balance; it wasn’t hard, it was just the same as normal with a little extra weight on her shoulders. It was only once Lona gripped onto Nymphaea that things became difficult. 

Lyse elbowed Hymwolk in the side with one arm and clung to Nymphaea’s leg with the other. She switched arms, jabbing Nymeia’s side with her hand and gripping to Nymphaea. Her attack did nothing to Hymwolk, but her attack on Nymeia seemed to be mildly effective. Nymeia and Lona were first to fall. Lona separated from Nymeia and crashed into the water, dragging Nymphaea with her. However, Lyse clung tight, and the two managed to just scrape in a second place fall. 

The gloating from Hymwolk and Altani was a dull burn that, if anything, fuelled the two losing teams further. Now in second place, they felt they had a decent chance at taking down Lyse and Nymphaea. But the gloating was sparking the fire of saltiness in the two women. 

“We can’t let them win. Even if we won’t really be affected… I don’t want to hear the gloating from them if they win.” Nymphaea whispered in Lyse’s ear, her hands on her shoulders as she doggy paddled behind her. She was quite a bit shorter than the vehicles, and her feet were far from reaching the ground. She wrapped her arms around Lyse’s neck, nuzzling into her fluffy ponytail and wrapping her legs around the Hyur’s chiselled stomach. 

Lyse instinctively held onto her by the thighs, gently patting her leg. “Don’t worry. We’ll win this, I’m sure of it.” Nymphaea nuzzled her more, and enjoyed the closeness of their contact and how comfortable she felt being held up by the woman. When Kieran moved between the three teams, she took that as indication that she should mount up. She hoisted herself up onto Lyse’s shoulders and the two of them prepared. 

“Don’t initiate it. Just like, let them battle it out. And we’ll just take down whoever is left when they are weakened.” Nymphaea whispered. 

“If they come for us, we’ll just hold our ground.” Lyse whispered back. 

“Exactly, good plan. Let’s go.” The two high fived just as Kieran announced the start of round four, which would hopefully be the last round. 

Hymwolk didn’t miss a beat before charging towards the two of them. Altani barely gripped on to his hair to keep herself steady on his shoulders, he seemed intent on letting her struggle for herself rather than hold her legs for steadiness. Rather than fight, Lyse reacted quickly and took to gliding through the water smoothly, dodging his charging. He regained his composure and turned to charge again. Lyse and Nymphaea worked well together, barely faltering with all of the movement. They stood behind Nymeia and Lona who took the oncoming charge by solidifying their stance and blocking Hymwolk’s charge. Despite being twice as wide as Nymeia, and a head taller, Nymeia held her own well against Hymwolk. 

“Go for Lona.” Lyse instructed to Nymphaea as she stepped forward so that all three were sandwiched together. Lona gripped onto Altani, trying desperately to dunk her under, while Nymphaea calculated the best method of attack. She reached forward and tickled Lona. Lona didn't react. Instead, she stopped trying to dunk Altani and twisted to stare blankly at the Miqo'te.

“What? You’re not ticklish?” Nymphaea gasped. Lona just shrugged. 

“Get catty.” Lyse mumbled.

“Hey, nice pun!” Kieran called out, meowing in response. 

Nymphaea gripped tight onto Lona’s upper arms, attempting to pin them to her sides. She was definitely not as strong as Lona, or any of her current companions for that matter. She was a White Mage, the most she lifted was her dryad cane, which was essentially a glorified tree branch. Her arms were noodly twigs. Lona wriggled her arms away from her sides with ease and Nymphaea huffed. 

She took to gripping her around her middle (making note to avoid the chest as best as she could) and attempted to throw her to the side. “Altani, take her down with me. The two of us together can throw her off.” Nymphaea called out through the splashing and screaming. 

Altani’s eyes met with Nymphaea and she seemed to be lost in a trance while slapping away Lona’s hands. “Hym-” 

“Don’t trust her! She is using your obvious attraction to her for her own gain!” He ordered. 

“I’m not, think about it!” Nymphaea cried out, tightening her thighs around Lyse as Lona backed up and almost knocked the two off balance. “It’s a logical plan!” 

Altani huffed, torn between Hymwolk her Master and Nymphaea the woman she had been outed for feeling affection for. “If I let go of Hym’s head, I’ll fall backwards.” 

“And I can’t let go of Nymeia or we’ll both crash. It’s not logical at all!” Hymwolk shouted, letting out a soft grunt at the struggle of clashing with Nymeia. 

“Just one minute. Tighten your thighs. Use your core. And just shove.” Nymphaea encouraged. Lyse gave a soft pat on Nymphaea’s thigh, an almost proud gesture. 

Altani let out a sigh and, against the wishes of her Master, let go of his hair to throw Lona off. The two now combining their strength seemed enough to throw Lona off. She clung for dear life, but it was not enough to save her from the shuddering crash as her tiny frame was thrown into the water. The two teams screamed with victory. Before it settled that it was now Hymwolk and Altani versus Lyse and Nymphaea. Lyse backed up immediately, taking Nymphaea far away from the evils of the other two. 

“Okay. New plan. Tickle tactic?” Lyse asked. 

“Yeah. He can’t block us both at once.” Nymphaea replied confidently while Lyse made her way back over. 

Hymwolk’s aim was to charge directly at Lyse while Altani flailed her limbs like a fish out of water. Lyse’s aim was to hold her stance still, dig her feet into the sand and hold onto Nymphaea’s leg as if her life depended on it while Nymphaea prepared her tickling hands and clung to Lyse. Hymwolk had the strength. Lyse had the stability. Altani had the dexterity. Nymphaea… had Lyse? They were far too confident up against the large Roe and Au’ra who, separately could easily take down Nymphaea. Lyse clashed with Hymwolk below the two tiny women. Lyse could barely hold him back. She snaked a hand over to his side to tickle him and Nymphaea reached out to tickle Altani. 

Hymwolk jerked to the side, flailing his left arm out to knock them out of the way. His actions were far too rough for Altani to keep up with. She gripped onto his hair and attempted to keep her balance while Hymwolk screamed with giggles. 

“Charge at him!” Nymphaea screamed, tightening her thighs around Lyse and holding onto her. She used her head to headbutt Altani the rest of the way off Hymwolk. She clung to the buns on either side of Nymphaea’s head and dragged her down with her as she tumbled off Hymwolk’s shoulders into the water. 

Lyse didn’t let go of her. Even as they were both submerged and scrambling underwater, her grip on Nymphaea’s thighs would not loosen until Nymphaea forcibly wriggled her legs out of Lyse’s grip. The two women emerged from the water to screaming from Kieran that they had won. 

Lyse flung herself towards Nymphaea, wrapping her arms around her neck and squashing her face against the Miqo’te’s. Nymphaea hugged her back with a squeal. “One thousand Gil! Lyse, why don’t we celebrate at a nice restaurant or something?” Nymphaea suggested. 

“Y'all need the whole one thousand for a meal at a restaurant? How much are y’all eating?” Kieran yelled while the two women went to shake hands with the others. 

Lona and Nymeia were, as expected, exceptionally salty and begrudgingly shook hands with the winners. Hymwolk too, accepting defeat, shook hands as well. The two women didn’t gloat, and Hymwolk was grateful his ego wouldn’t take too much of a hit. As for Altani, she waddled behind Hymwolk with a sad pout across her face. 

“Hey, there’s no need to sulk, love.” Nymphaea teased, waddling over to wrap an arm around Altani. She smiled fondly before following the rest of the group back to the shore to relax. Lyse waddled in the water for a short while, watching Nymphaea and her friends play. It was wholesome, and it made her happy to know that outside of the chaos that was being the Warrior of Light, she had a supportive and playful group to entertain her and comfort her. It was reassuring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hymwolk was so powerful i had to make his team shit by making altani useless. sorry, i love you, promise :p


	4. alcohol and heartbreak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Altani gets shitfaced.

Lyse looked at the way Nymphaea was so loving and affectionate with Altani. Her arm wrapped around the Au’ra’s shoulders, her tail resting on top of Altani’s, the way Nymphaea gently played with the ends of her hair. The actions seemed romantic, but it didn’t feel romantic. At least, not to Lyse. In her eyes, it seemed to be merely affection between two close friends. She didn't miss the way Altani would occasionally look up to her with an all too familiar twinkle in her eyes.More alcohol was brought out, but neither Lyse nor Nymphaea felt up to drinking; they knew they would be rising early the next morning for whatever missions fell onto their plate. Instead, they opted to being the designated sober friends while the others enjoyed their beverages. 

After a heated drinking competition between Altani, Hymwolk and Lona, and a few glasses of wine from Kieran and Nymeia, the group descended into slurred nonsense. They were well into night now and Lyse could feel the sleepiness tugging at her eyelids. Altani had passed out, now seated in Nymphaea’s lap. She was holding onto the Miqo’te tight, refusing to loosen her grip on her. Nymphaea simply soothed the girl, rubbing circles on her back and occasionally whispering something to her. 

“It’s late. You can crash at mine tonight. I’ll be up early enough to wake us and we can head back to Gridania to meet the others.” Nymphaea offered to Lyse. 

“Is that okay?” Lyse mumbled shyly. “I don’t want to intrude in your personal space…” 

“I’ll admit, the only Scion I’ve had in my private chambers is Minfilia. But it’s just because the Scions Headquarters always have such nice chambers, why bring them to my dingy little apartment?” Nymphaea commented, standing and carrying the sleeping Altani bridal style. “But I’ll warn you, Altani will be sleeping in my chambers too. She’ll probably get sick in the night and I’d rather not have her choking on her own vomit and dying.” 

Lyse nodded. “That’s fine.” She stood and offered to take Altani, in which the Au’ra in her drunken state clung to Lyse and nuzzled into her neck. A crimson blush spread across her cheeks and she bit back the urge to smile. 

“I’m surprised this is the first time she’s bringing you over, Lyse.” Lona commented dryly, swirling her glass of rum casually. Despite the drinking competition that left Altani in a drunken slumber and Hymwolk on the brink of passing out, Lona seemed almost unaffected by the alcohol, save the redness that crept across her dark cheeks and neck. 

“Wh- what?” Lyse spluttered. 

Nymphaea covered her face in embarrassment while Nymeia snorted and explained. “With the amount she talks about you, we’re just surprised we haven’t seen you taking midnight trips to the FC house more often. It’s like she had major feelings for you.” 

Nymphaea wanted to cry, but covered her face and shook it off. She will not let them embarrass her like this. She will not allow this teasing. “I enjoy talking about cute girls. You can’t judge me for that.” Lyse pretended not to hear the compliment laced through Nymphaea’s words. “We’re heading off now.” Nymphaea then bounced around quickly, giving each of her companions a little kiss on the forehead and a hug. She bid them safe travels back to the FC estate and took off with Lyse and Altani. 

Lyse wasn’t sure what to expect of Nymphaea’s chambers, but this was not it. Not that she wasn’t impressed. It was kept in impeccable condition: not a stray piece of clothing, or a pillow out of place, or a leaf wilted and fallen from one of the many plants decorating her chambers. To the left of her chambers was her kitchen: a simple stove, a bench that wrapped around and a half partition separating the kitchen from the rest of the open space. Dotted around the space were various indoor plants that added a fresh feeling to the space. The kitchen looked out over a very basic space: a low, sitting table, a simple sofa, a bookshelf and a storage cupboard. The walls were decorated with various items from Nymphaea’s travels as well as portraits of Nanamo Ul Namo, Kan-E-Senna and Haurchefant Greystone. The space felt light an airy while still lived in. 

Separating the living space from the sleeping space was a wall with a sliding door. Nymphaea guided Lyse inside the sleeping area where she quickly unrolled the futon mattress and gestured for her to lay the sleeping Altani down. The trio had not yet changed out of their swimsuits and Nymphaea sighed knowing she’d have to change Altani. 

Across from where the futon now lay unrolled was Nymphaea’s study: a long sitting desk, an easel with paints to the left and an entire wall of neat and tidy tomes organised alphabetically behind. Nymphaea walked over to her closet where she pulled out three sets of clothing. One consisted of a loose white top, black underwear and short, purple, slim-fitting shorts. Another of a simple grey tank top, black underwear and black slim-fitting shorts. The final set of clothes consisted of an oversized sleeveless brown top and black underwear. 

She handed Lyse the second set of clothes, set aside the third set of clothes on top of her dresser and then placed the first down beside Altani. “Could you turn away for a minute?” Nymphaea asked, already rolling Altani over to undo her bikini top. Lyse obliged and, with a few groans and grumbles from Nymphaea later, the Miqo’te stood and grabbed her own set of clothes with only a hint of frustration. When Lyse turned around, the bikini Altani had been wearing was nowhere to be seen, and the clothes Nymphaea had picked out were now on Altani’s person. 

“You dressed her just like that? You didn’t care about seeing her… you know, naked?” Lyse asked tentatively. She almost didn’t want to know the response.

“It wouldn’t have been the first time.” Nymphaea spoke casually before stripping down without a care in the world. Did this woman have no shame, to just undress so carelessly without even a warning? 

“Nymphaea!” Lyse gasped, immediately covering her eyes. 

“Gods, Lyse. They’re just breasts.” Nymphaea replied casually, tossing her bikini top into the hamper and dressing herself. “If it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll go into the living room.” 

“No- I mean, well. No, it’s not that I’m uncomfortable, I’m just. Sorry, I wasn’t expecting to see you expose yourself- uh. I mean it’s a nice view and I think you look nice but- Gods, Nymphaea, can you give me warning?!” She yelped as Nymphaea undressed her bottom half. That was further than she expected and, with her face as red as a tomato, she turned away and pretended to suddenly be fascinated by her collection of very boring tomes. Papalymo would be laughing if he could see how intensely she focussed on the books, determined not to let her mind wander to the woman stripping behind her. 

“You can turn back now. I’m all dressed.” Nymphaea called out. “Sorry, I don’t really have much shame. I’ll let you know next time.” 

“It’s… it’s fine. I’m just… not so used to seeing so much. I’m just embarrassed.” Lyse shrugged awkwardly, staring at the floorboards. She couldn’t make eye contact with the Miqo’te, not after what she just saw. “You’d think with how much I admire women, I would’ve seen more before. But I haven’t and I kind of panicked.”

“You… haven’t seen a woman naked before?” Nymphaea questioned. “Considering how often I’m stripping down, I’m surprised you haven’t seen me before like this in the Scions HQ. Gods know Thancred’s seen too much of my body.” 

“I… haven’t done that sort of stuff before. I’ve always been too afraid. You, uh. You have nice… you have a nice body?” She complimented awkwardly. 

“Thank you!” Nymphaea replied chirpily, seeming to not care at all about the awkward tensions between them. “Anyway, I’ll leave and let you get changed. I’ll fix us up a snack before bed.” 

The second Nymphaea left the room, Lyse covered her mouth with her hands and let out a muffled scream. Gods, she had just seen Nymphaea so bare. And she had enjoyed it. In fact, she felt even the slightest bit aroused seeing her like that. She had almost forgotten that she needed to get changed out of her bikini and into her clothes to sleep in until Nymphaea knocked on the wall and snapped Lyse from her weird trance.

“Are you okay in there?” Nymphaea called out. “I heard a weird noise. Did Altani wake up?” 

“N-no! No, it’s fine! I just, I thought I saw a bug. It’s fine!” Lyse cried out. In a panic, she ripped her bikini off and tossed it on the ground, slipping into the sleepwear quickly. Nymphaea’s clothes were quite small on her, but it was fine. If anything, it showed her muscles off more. It was soft and comfortable, more comfortable than the clothes she owned. 

She quickly left the room and met with Nymphaea in the living space. Nymphaea had fixed the two a croissant each and a pot of tea. It was neatly arranged on the table that was decorated with a leafy green plant. The two sat down at the table and Nymphaea poured a cup of tea for each of them while rambling.

“This little baby is Alfie. He’s a baby philodendron I bought in the market in Gridania.” Nymphaea smiled sweetly, gently rubbing one of Alfie’s leaves between her fingers. 

“You name your plants?” Lyse asked curiously. Nymphaea nodded with excitement, quickly bouncing around the room to introduce Lyse to each and every one of her plants. 

Once she had sat back down again, she took a long sip of her tea. Lyse followed, silently taking a sip of her cup of tea too. This whole evening, Lyse had felt as if she had never been more quiet in her life. But she was too fascinated learning more and more about Nymphaea. 

She suddenly placed her cup down and looked at Nymphaea with her face alight with excitement. “Phae! I still have another question for you!” 

The bubbly girl lowered her cup of tea and gestured for Lyse to continue. “Yes, you do have one more question. Ask away.” 

Lyse tapped her chin, thinking hard. She had a question she wanted to ask earlier, but she wasn’t entirely sure if she still wanted to answer. What was her relationship with Altani? Did she want to know? Yes, she did want to know. But there were other questions brimming in her mind now. Why had Minfilia been to her chambers before? What did Kieran mean by “shenanigans”? Is Nymphaea a womaniser? Why did Nymphaea talk about her a lot - what sort of things did she say? 

Yes, that last one was definitely what she wanted to know right at this moment. Since she had heard the playful jest, she couldn’t help but wonder what it meant. Including Nymphaea’s comment afterwards. She looked down nervously before asking. 

“L...Lona mentioned… that you talk about me a lot… What did she mean? Like, what things do you say about me…? Why… do you talk about me?” 

Nymphaea let out a tiny giggle and covered her face in embarrassment. She would allow herself to show her shyness in front of Lyse, and only Lyse. “I’m going to ignore that it’s technically two questions and answer it as one. But… don’t get weird about it, okay?” 

Lyse nodded. “Got it.” 

“I’ve always thought you were really cool. From first meeting, I told Hymwolk about the cool masked lady I met in Gridania. When I became a Scion, I loved to tell the stories of things you did. I’ve always just thought you were so cool, such an interesting person and so wonderful. I’d come back from missions with the Scions and write a letter to Hymwolk telling him of the adventures I went on, and I couldn’t leave out the epic details of you killing it out in the field.” Nymphaea spoke with a twinkle in her eyes. She couldn’t look at Lyse and she understood. She, too was having a hard time looking at Nymphaea with how flattered she was. Sparkling blue eyes downcast, she mumbled nervously. 

“You flatter me, really… I’m not all that special. Or as cool as you think I am.” Her voice small. 

“Oh, but you are! You ought to think more highly of yourself, Lyse.” Nymphaea took a bite of her croissant and savoured the flavour of the buttery pastry. “And before you wonder, it’s not because I’m crazy for you and have some weird unrequited feelings.” 

Lyse almost choked on her own spit, staring at the girl with wide eyes. “What?” She gasped. “I wasn’t- I didn’t think that!” Nymphaea blinked at her and Lyse’s shoulders slumped. “Okay, well, the thought crossed my mind but I didn’t want to think too much about it.” 

Nymphaea reached out and gently pat Lyse’s hand. “It’s okay to wonder. But you can relax. I don’t fall for people.” She began, retracting her hand and placing them daintily in her lap. “Emotions, crushes, feelings. Terrifying stuff.” 

“And Altani- those shenanigans? What is all of that?” Lyse breathed. 

“You only have two questions per day.” Nymphaea teased, smirking cheekily at Lyse. 

Lyse dropped her head down on the table with a groan. “Nymphaea, you’re so evil.” 

“T’is only a jest. I’ll tell you, calm down.” Nymphaea was holding back the urge to laugh at the older woman, but could barely hold it in. “Altani is a different case. We sleep together, we have multiple times. We act affectionate, I’ll kiss her and she’ll kiss me. But… I don’t have feelings for her, not in the romantic sense. In the sense that I’d do anything for her, and protect her. I cherish every moment I spend with her.” 

“But you don’t want her to be your girlfriend?” 

“No. No, I don’t. I… don’t want a girlfriend, a partner, or anything. I fill my need for affection with sleeping around and random women. Sometimes I don’t even learn their names, I just bed them and go. Sometimes I learn their names, their history, the deeper notes of their personality. I feel their essence and soul. We become close enough that perhaps my emotions to them may form something along the lines of ‘attraction’... But it never lasts.” 

Lyse didn’t reply, just watched the way Nymphaea stared down at her hands and seemed to harden her outer shell. It was almost as if she was retreating back into the version of Nymphaea that she had always known. She could feel her panic rising, this was bad and the Nymphaea she had seen that night was slowly fading back into herself. Lyse didn’t want that, she had grown so fond of this different Nymphaea, the real Nymphaea. She was determined not to let her slip away. 

“There’s nothing wrong with that!” Lyse finally spoke up. “Sleeping around, I mean. Not really… getting attached to people. If it’s easier for you then what’s the problem?” 

Nymphaea looked up and only now did Lyse notice the tears welling in her eyes. “Because it means people like Altani get hurt. Altani has had feelings for me for a long, long time. I tried my best to stop sleeping with her, to stop being so affectionate with her to let her know that things won’t ever progress between us.” 

“But… you couldn’t.” Lyse remembered the way they were so physically affectionate earlier. What she had simply seen as platonic was perhaps more: platonic on Nymphaea’s side, romantic on Altani’s side. 

“No. I can’t. I feel guilty, the way she looks at me with such sad eyes and her whole being seems to cry when I reject her affections. It’s not as if they are not well received, or I am doing things against my will. I choose to allow her to laze in my lap, I choose to be affectionate with her. But alas, I feel guilty. I feel guilty that I’m leading her on into feeling more for me. Feeling things for me that I cannot reciprocate.” 

“Why can’t you reciprocate her feelings?” 

Nymphaea reached out for her cup of tea and drank the rest of the extremely hot liquid in one go, barely flinching at the temperature of it. “Feelings are dangerous, Lyse. You… I think that you are someone who will understand well why I do not allow myself to love.” 

Lyse was shocked by her last statement. “What do you mean by that?”

“The pain that you felt losing your mother, your father, your sister. The burning, twisting feeling you felt at leaving Papalymo to sacrifice himself. The unbearable pain of losing Moenbryda. All those that you’ve lost. I’ve lost people too, Lyse. My parents, friends, siblings.” 

“But that doesn’t mean you can’t love!” 

“It means I can’t allow myself to get attached to people. I can’t let myself be vulnerable to the very real fact of life: everyone will die. Some will die sooner than they ever should be.” 

“You’re afraid to become attached to people in case they die?” 

“Die. Move on. Leave and find better, brighter futures. Leave for sunnier and cheerier lands with less death and destruction. Leave for a greater cause.” There was so much pain in Nymphaea's voice with each word. It felt as if Lyse was watching the woman collapse and fall apart right in front of her. She refused to allow that to happen, she refused to let the woman break and suffer the pain.

“But that’s no way to live!” Lyse raised her voice, completely disregarding the sleeping Altani in the next room. “To live a life without love, or allowing yourself to love. From someone like you who seems to be so full of love, judging by how you sweetly named every single one of your plants... you can't! I’ve seen the way that you interact with the Doman refugees, your actions so full of kindness and sincerity! Yet you are to tell me you do not want to love, in fear of loss?” 

“Everyone I have ever loved has left, either by death or by fallout, or by leaving for better places. It has left me a fractured woman, please understand this Lyse.” 

“So you’re afraid? Afraid to love in fear of being hurt?” 

“Y...yes. I am.” Nymphaea sighed, feeling the burning shame dwelling in her stomach. “Is it so selfish of me to wish to guard my own heart? Is it selfish of me to not wish to open my heart, knowing that when I do it will absolutely end in heartbreak? If I take such measures to guard my body from injury, why can I not protect my heart from injury? Is that selfishness?” 

“Yes, it’s selfish! To keep all that love inside of you, never sharing it with someone. Never filling another person with that incredible light of joy you hold within. Do you never wish to find someone who you can know is yours, and wholly yours, who will fill you with the same love that you fill them?” Lyse sighed. “Being so guarded, have you never wanted to love…?”

“Lyse... Lyse, I am in love with Minfilia. Was in love with Minfilia.” Nymphaea had tears streaming down her face, her hands slightly trembling. “I don’t know, but I know that I… I loved her, and perhaps I still do!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah, i wasn't expecting it either


	5. keep the fire in your heart alive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> nymphaea has a lot of feelings but no one to talk about them to. lyse is such a ball of anxiety

Lyse woke up on a rolled out bed beside Altani, who was still passed out. She had a soft blanket covering her, shared with the Au’ra, and the room was silent. She slipped out from the blanket, making sure to tuck Altani in, then looked around at the room. Last night she had been so excited to see Nymphaea’s home, her chambers, where she slept and ate and did everything but now she only felt a dull ache in her chest. 

Nymphaea’s pillow had long blonde hairs stuck to it. The windowsill had a hair tie with that same blonde hair still stuck to it. Nymphaea’s table had books, “Hydaelyn: A History” with a scrap piece of paper sticking out of it. The half-finished painting on the easel was a simple swirl of wheat yellow and blue; which now made much more sense. There were traces of her all through the room, and it all began to make hit Lyse at once just how much of her still remained in Nymphaea’s home. She stretched and left the sleeping space to enter the living area. Nymphaea was dressed and ready to leave, her appearance tidy and neat as she was when heading to do work as a Scion. Nymphaea didn’t make eye contact with her, she simply placed a plate full of fruit and bread on the table. 

“Eat up. Y’shtola contacted me earlier to let you know Alphinaud needs you for a mission. I’ll be heading out first to help Y’shtola and Krile with some research.” Nymphaea spoke in a tone far different from the one she used the night before. Whatever cheery and easy going Nymphaea she had seen before was gone, retreating back into the persona she used for Scion duties. 

“Thank you.” Lyse placed a piece of apple into her mouth and chewed slowly while observing Nymphaea. She seemed so emotionless. She wished she could see the cheery girl again. “Are you oka-” 

“I’m fine.” Nymphaea turned around and smiled. It was a weird smile, a bit strained but genuine nonetheless. “About last night…” 

“Yeah, I was wondering if we could talk about tha-” 

“Do you mind if we avoid talking about it again?” Nymphaea let out the softest of sighs and popped a piece of watermelon in her mouth. “And also not tell anyone. The only people who know, or… knew, were Thancred and Krile. I’d rather not have more people find out.” 

Lyse nodded dejectedly. “Okay, that’s fine.” She had no appetite to eat, but she didn’t want to let Nymphaea’s work go to waste, especially when she had cut the strawberries to look like little roses. “What’s happening with Altani?” 

“A woman named Frey is coming over in a short while to fix her up a hangover potion. She’ll let herself in. As for clothes, I’ve left a spare set of clothes for you to wear on the dresser.” Nymphaea placed a cup of tea down next to Lyse then squeezed her shoulder, the action feeling almost foreign. “I really have to go now. I’ll see you in Gridania later, I’d think.” 

She dashed from the room, toasted bread in hand before Lyse could properly say farewell. Not a moment later, a Miqo’te woman entered the room carrying a large bag on her back full of what Lyse assumed to be supplies. 

“Morning!” She greeted with a wave. Without a second of hesitation, she dropped the backpack to the ground and began taking out all sorts of vials and containers housing various ingredients. She walked to the stove carrying armfuls of items and brewed up a mighty potion, light grey in colour. 

Lyse continued to eat while watching the woman. There was something comical about her, the way she was so small yet walked as if she were a 6 foot giant, or how she was so rough with everything she did. 

“H-hello. Good morning. Are you Frey?” Lyse asked nervously. 

“Frey Morrien, at… Altani’s service. You must be Lyse.” The Hyur nodded in response and she smiled as she swirled the grey liquid. “Feel free to watch, Altani is hilarious when she’s angry.” The little Miqo’te threw open the sliding door and shouted loudly to wake Altani. Lyse almost pitied the girl. She stood in the doorway and watched Frey wrestle Altani awake. Altani grumbled, threatening to kick Frey’s ass. 

“I’ll punch you so hard you feel it in your toes before you get close enough to my ass.” Frey grumbled back, forcing the potion into Altani’s hand. “Now bottoms up you angry little demon. Hopefully you’ll become a happy little demon if I brewed this correctly.” 

Altani mumbled something under her breath and chugged the bottle. “It’s disgusting, Frey! What in Titan’s testicles did you put in this ungodly concoction?” 

“Might as well have been Titan’s testicles with how difficult it was to retrieve these ingredients. Be grateful, little demon.” She mockingly pet her on the head. Altani tried to bite her hand off and Lyse stifled a laugh. 

“Have you eaten much, Lyse?” Frey asked, standing and brushing herself off. “I’m going to fix Altani a healthy breakfast. Would you like some breakfast as well?” 

“I’ve had enough, thank you. I should be heading off anyway, I have a pretty busy day today.” Lyse waved at the two girls. “I’ll just get changed first.” 

“Very well.” Frey hoisted the struggling Altani onto her shoulder and left the room despite the Au’ra’s angry demands to stay in bed. She struggled, banging her fists against Frey's back, who didn't seem to even notice, let alone care.

She closed the door and changed quickly into the clothes Nymphaea left out for her. Without a second glance, she left the room, waved goodbye to the two who were now wrestling to feed each other, and dashed from the estate. 

\--

Lyse’s knuckles bled, glistening with crimson blood from working herself raw. She wanted nothing more than to return to Gridania where she would meet with Y’shtola, Krile, Nymphaea and Alisaie to eat dinner together. But she was stuck out here in the middle of the Black Shroud punching diseased treants until her knuckles wept and splinters covered her hands. 

“Can we finish up here yet, Alphinaud?” Lyse called out breathlessly, taking down another treant. 

Alphinaud let out a huff as he took down another diseased treant. “I believe that should suffice for now. I’ll give the Serpents my report anon. Pray head to the inn and see to it that Krile and Y’shtola heal your fists.” 

“Sure thing.” Lyse waved and headed back into Gridania, not straying from her path to the inn. As she entered, Y’shtola, Krile, Alisaie and Nymphaea were seated at a table together. 

“Lyse, good of you to join us. Come, sit.” Krile greeted with a sweet smile. 

She sat down and let herself be fussed over by the three healers. They chatted and spoke casually, the way the five of them always did together. Lyse speaking excitedly, Krile encouraging her and indulging in her stories, Y’shtola tutting and scolding Lyse playfully for being reckless, Alisaie joining in with the wild stories and Nymphaea, silent as ever, only speaking when spoken to, only answering when asked of her. 

When all was said and done, and all food had been consumed, Lyse excused herself to head upstairs and rest. She felt her chest heavy seeing Nymphaea back to her usual self. She almost wanted to ask Y’shtola to sit with her and they could talk privately about all that had happened: Y’shtola’s guidance was similar to Papalymo in that it was a more logical approach to her issues, however Y’shtola had the gentleness and kindness of Yda when she spoke and gave advice. It made divulging in her stresses soothing, and she didn’t feel so pained by keeping everything inside as she had for so long. 

But Y’shtola was tired and was most likely sleeping already. Lyse took off her dirt-covered boots at the door of the inn room and slipped out of the loaned clothes into her bed clothes. If she were going to sulk, she would at least make herself more comfortable. She sat down by the window, on the large ledge that hugged the floor to ceiling wall of windows. Gridania was so peaceful at night, with billions of stars above twinkling and sparkling without a care, the gentle trickle of streams and waterways and various critters humming their melody to the Moon. 

She could have fallen asleep then and there, staring out across the forest. She could have brooded long enough to fall asleep with her knees to her chest and blonde hair framing her soft features. Her body ached enough that she would’ve slept anywhere. However, just as sleep willed itself to take her, a gentle tap on her door startled her awake. She fell from the ledge onto the floor and scrambled up. She straightened out her bed clothes and opened the door, finding her face to face with someone she wasn’t sure she wanted to speak to right now. 

“Nymphaea…? What are you-” Lyse began, but she was quickly caught off guard. 

“Lyse. Can I… Come in?” Nymphaea asked, her voice tiny and on the verge of breaking. 

Lyse nodded and stepped aside to let the woman enter. The second the door shut and Lyse had turned around, Nymphaea threw herself at Lyse, wrapping her arms around her middle and burying her face in her chest. 

“Nymphaea? What’s wrong?” Lyse asked, her heart pounding. She didn’t know what was wrong or what to do. Did she comfort the girl? What does she say in a situation like this, when just a few bells earlier Nymphaea seemed to be an entirely different person?

“Just hold me. Please.” 

Lyse obliged, wrapping her strong arms around Nymphaea and clutching her against her chest. They stayed that way for a while and soon Lyse found herself running her fingers through Nymphaea’s soft locks. After a while, Nymphaea broke away and sniffled, wiping away stray tears. “I’m so sorry.” She mumbled. Looking at her more carefully now, Lyse noted the redness of her eyes and nose, the smear of her lipstick, the way her hair was sticking out of place and the fact that she was dressed ready for sleep. 

“Are you okay? What’s going on?” Lyse asked. 

“I don’t want you to think I hate you. I just, after exposing so much last night I felt weak and vulnerable and I felt exposed telling you all of that about Minfilia and not wanting to love and all the stuff with Altani and I don’t know I just feel really guilty that I retreated in my shell, and I promise I don’t hate you I just-” 

“Breathe, Phae!” Lyse gasped, cupping the Miqo’te’s cheeks and brushing her tears away. “Thal’s balls, calm down. Breathe and tell me again, slower and perhaps with a breath in between!” 

“I’m sorry, Lyse. For going cold on you today. I let you see a little bit of my emotions, I let you see into my heart just a bit and I panicked.” Nymphaea spoke slower, but still with a hint of anxiety. 

“I’m just relieved you don’t hate me. I was worried things would get weird with us.” Lyse mumbled. 

“Since we found out about Minfilia’s fate, I haven’t spoken about her. Or what I’m feeling. Or anything to do with Minfilia. It was a surprise to me.” Nymphaea rambled. “It was actually long ago, back in the tunnel that Minfilia ended things with me. She told me that she had a mission far greater than anything we could imagine, that she had things she had to do. She told me to move on, to find a new love and keep the fire in my heart alive.”

“She… did?” Lyse asked, which Nymphaea nodded to. 

“I’ve been trying to move on. I don’t know if I still love her, but when I think of her, it hurts. I miss her. I miss the feeling of being in her arms, the softness of her skin, the gentle smiles that spread warmth within me like rays of morning sun. The way her hair brushes across her face like silk. The way her words melted away any pain and worry I carried. The beautiful smile that greeted me every time I entered the Solar. But I think about whether I still love her, whether I still feel a fire in my chest for her, whether my heart still seeks for her and I’m instead left with an empty feeling.” 

“What do you mean by an empty feeling? If you miss all of that, and still feel so many things for her, would that not mean you still love her?” Lyse wrapped an arm around the shorter woman, who had been so tense but relaxed under her comforting arm. 

“Do I miss her, or those things that she had given me? When I miss her, do I miss her gestures or do I miss her love? My heart doesn’t beat for her the same way it used to. It beats the way it does when Altani is gone for months on end and I do not see her, and ache with pain missing my friend. It aches the way it ached for you and Papalymo when we had not seen you for so long after the events following the Sultana’s assassination. It aches the way it did for Y’shtola and Thancred when they were lost in the lifestream and I was unaware if they were alive or dead. It doesn't feel like love in a romantic sense but... A love for someone important to me.” 

“Phae…” Lyse didn’t know how to speak, how to respond to her, only knowing how to cup her face and hold her, to soothe her worries. “If you don’t feel as if you love her anymore… That’s okay.” 

“But is it, to let go of my love so simply? To let go of my love for Minfilia as if it were nothing?”

“You will always have the love she has given you inside of you, and clearly you aren’t giving it away simply if you’ve come to me in the dead of night in a fit of tears. She wished for you to continue on. Do not feel guilty for doing as she wished of you.” Lyse remarked, letting go of the Miqo’te. 

“You’re right, I suppose.” She replied with a strained sigh. She rubbed her eyes again, letting out a soft yawn so sweet Lyse’s heart almost burst. “I… was wondering if I could sleep with you tonight?” 

“What?!” Lyse exclaimed, holding a hand over her chest in shock. 

“No!” Nymphaea cried out, covering her reddening face. “Not like that you pervert! I mean, can I share a bed with you. I don’t feel like sleeping alone tonight.” 

Lyse breathed a sigh of relief. She walked over to her bed, shuffling over to the wall and patting the space beside her. The bed was average size and built for one person, but Lyse didn’t take up much room and Nymphaea wasn’t exactly average sized, quite below average in fact. Nymphaea crawled onto the bed, shuffling under Lyse’s arm and snuggling up to her. 

“I can’t handle how empty beds feel without someone to share it with.” She mumbled, burying her face into Lyse’s chest. She hoped Nymphaea couldn’t hear her heart racing, such cuddles were foreign to her and she couldn’t help her heart beating a million beats a minute from how nervous she was. She at least tried to convince herself that it was because she hadn’t done this before and it was weird to her, and not just because it was Nymphaea. She ignored that her heart didn’t beat this fast when she was sharing the rolled out mattress and blanket with Altani. She ignored the way she had a weird twisting feeling in her gut and warmth in her cheeks that she couldn’t explain. 

No, she took to wrapping her arms around the little Miqo’te and burying her face between the girl’s fluffy ears. Her hair was so soft and smelled of roses, a subtle sweet smell. When the woman stirred, she tightened her grip on her instinctively and rubbed small circles on her back. 

“You still have two questions, as agreed upon.” Nymphaea mumbled, tightening her grasp on Lyse’s shirt. 

“Oh, I do?” Lyse had so many questions yesterday, she almost couldn’t decide what to ask. But now she had no questions coming to mind. It wasn't that her questions were answered, but more that she had the most pressing questions answered that she felt any other question to follow couldn't compare to the weight of the others. “Let’s pass for tonight. I’ll ask tomorrow.” 

“Okay.” Nymphaea let out a soft purr, the end of her tail flicking ever so slightly. 

“Just sleep now.” Lyse mumbled, feeling herself calmed by the soothing purr, feeling sleep pulling her in. The Miqo’te in her arms drifted off without another word, and the gentle purrs were the only melody Lyse needed to join her in dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why is this becoming so depressing,,,


	6. i'll smile for you as long as you need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where oh where has Miss Nymphaea run off to?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for mild lewdness in the first paragraph. it's nothing explicit but I thought I'd give a heads up

Precious pink lips peppered kisses along her sharp collarbones, sharp canines grazed against her throat and tempted tiny moans of pleasure from the blonde. Lyse grasped onto the source of the affection, desperately grabbing blue and pink hair in her fists, moaning for more. Nymphaea’s lips on her neck, on her collarbones, on her chest never felt so good. The heat pooling in her stomach mixed with butterflies, the heat of the kisses growing deeper, her name falling from her mouth in achingly needy breaths. 

“Nymphaea.” She gasped, feeling hands travelling across her skin. 

“Lyse.” the Miqo’te responded, ever soft and sweet. Her name sounded like heaven falling from her lips. 

“Nymphaea, more.” 

“Lyse, wake up.” Nymphaea shook the woman rougher and Lyse’s eyes snapped open. 

“Nymphaea!” She cried out, separating herself from the woman as quickly as she could. She threw herself off the bed, groaning as her head smacked against the wooden floor. “Oh, my head.” She grumbled. The situation quickly dawned on her and the heat she once felt in her stomach immediately rushed to her face. She blushed a deep crimson and her chest felt as if it would explode from shame. 

“Hey, Lyse. Nice dreams?” She teased, walking over and ruffling the blonde’s hair. 

“I guess.” She mumbled uncomfortably. Gods, whatever had gotten into her, she hoped it would stop soon. She felt a level of shame she couldn’t quite explain right now. 

“It’s fine. I have to head off now, I’ll see you later.” Nymphaea flopped on top of Lyse, wrapping her noodle arms around her neck and attacking her with cuddles. “By the way, it’s just barely dawn, so you should go back to sleep.” 

“I kind of don’t want to.” 

She fell asleep regardless, crawling back into bed sometime after Nymphaea left. She was afraid of what sort of images her brain would come up with, but she slept on regardless, with dreamless rest. She woke by the demands of Alisaie who needed her assistance for a mission. Before leaving, she was greeted by a surprisingly alert Y’shtola. 

“Good morning Lyse. Mayhap you have spoken to Nymphaea? She had rushed off in quite a hurry this morning.” She greeted. 

“Oh, uh. Yeah, I spoke to her before she left. She said she had some things to do.” Lyse replied casually, trying desperately to forget the events of this morning. Y’shtola eyed her suspiciously for a moment. 

“She appeared to be distressed. Mayhap you have knowledge of why?” She had one eyebrow raised and Lyse could feel her eyes prying. 

“No, no! I have no idea why! Oh look, it’s Alisaie. Bye.” Lyse stammered, running over to the silver-haired Elezen. She practically threw herself at the girl, her eyes pleading for saviour. Alisaie took the hint and departed with Lyse without another word, hurrying to whatever distress call they had received. 

While out, Lyse’s mind wandered. Of all the nights Nymphaea had shown up, why last night? Why did she look as dishevelled as she did; had she been thinking about Minfilia? She felt a pang of guilt in the pit of her stomach, but pushed it away by punching a Diremite as hard as she could. She felt the power of her punches ripple throughout the frame of the beast and punched again, harder, forcing away the feelings she felt. 

If she had become the reason Nymphaea was so distraught as of late, she couldn’t forgive herself. In the day that she had been exposed to the ray of sunshine that emitted each time Nymphaea laughed, in the day that she illuminated an entire room with her joy with each smile, she had become so enamoured. She almost couldn’t erase the sight of her chubby cheeks and eye smiles and subtly rosy cheeks, she couldn't erase the sound of precious and wholesome giggles. 

She landed one final, fatal blow against the Diremite who collapsed inside of its external shell. Alisaie whistled, deeply impressed. “Someone appears to have a lot of energy this morning.” 

Lyse cracked her knuckles, walking over towards her companion. "I suppose some pent-up frustration is being let loose.” 

Alisaie gave a reassuring pat on her shoulder before continuing on with their mission. Clear a path for a group of Wood Wailer escorts. It was a mindless task, one that she wasn’t too fussed to take up, except that it left her in her mind too much. And thinking made her frustrated. She despised problems she couldn’t simply punch away and make disappear. 

“Hello? Nymphaea, you’re wanted in the Rising Stones. It’s no emergency, so do not rush yourself so.” Thancred spoke over linkshell. 

“Nymphaea, eh?” Alisaie smirked cheekily as she nudged Lyse. “Rumour has it that you two have been spending more time together. Alone.” 

“It’s not how it seems. We’re just friends! But yes, we have.” Lyse replied sheepishly. 

“Are you are aware of why she was in such a hurry this morning?” Alisaie questioned, pressing Lyse for details like a gossiping aunty. 

“How do you too know?” Lyse sighed. “I have no idea, I am as stumped as you are.”

Alisaie snorted. “I caught her creeping from your room early in the morning, looking positively petrified. Did poor Nymphaea fall victim to your sleep-punches?” 

Lyse desperately attempted to cover her face and hide the pinkness blossoming on her cheeks. “N-no! Fortunately not. Sorry, by the way. Does everyone wake up at the crack of dawn?” 

“Not all of us sleep as heavy as you, dear Lyse.” The Elezen teased. “Is it just me that thinks you’re hiding something?” 

“Stop prying!” Lyse yelped, shaking her head. She was so flustered, feeling such a fluttering in her chest and her heart pounding. “Alisaie, I’m not sure. She seemed fine when she left. It concerns me just as much as the rest of you that she was so distressed.”

“She’ll be fine.” 

“She didn’t tell anyone where she went.” Lyse blurted out. “And it worries me.” 

“She’s always like that. I can’t recall a time she ever told us where she’d headed.” The two engaged in combat once more, taking down another stray Diremite. 

“I suppose you’re right. I can’t help but think on this feeling that won’t go away.” Lyse called out, landing a shell-shattering blow on the Diremite. Last night felt like a dream. Part of her wondered if she really did dream more than just the scenario in which she refused to acknowledge. She pushed it to the back of her mind as best as she could.

They returned from their mission to the Rising Stones. Lyse was exhausted, feeling the ache in her arms and legs burning. Tataru ran over, placing a cup of tea on a table and suggesting Lyse rest, to which she obliged. She didn’t put up a fight in accepting rest. 

“Any word from Nymphaea?” Thancred asked over linkshell.

Lyse looked at the other Scions present in the Rising Stones, who simply shrugged. “None, sorry Thancred.” 

“Very well. We’ll continue without her for the time being.” Considering none of the Scions at all had heard from her, Lyse felt the panic rising. Should she be more worried? It was evening now, had she been gone the whole day with no word? 

“Relax, Lyse.” Tataru comforted, standing on a chair to pat her on the shoulder. “Why are you so worried anyway? She always does this. She’ll be back tonight!” 

But she didn’t come back that night. Lyse tossed and turned, flinging herself around on her bed. Her chambers were silent, dark and a tad cold. It made it all the more difficult to sleep when she couldn’t stop thinking of Nymphaea. Her mind had drifted to thoughts of the Miqo’te more times than she could count. She wondered what she had rushed off to do, she wondered whether she was okay and safe. She wondered if she had eaten. She wondered if she was resting enough. She wondered where the woman had even run off to. 

She left her chambers just before dawn broke, deciding to have a small meal instead to calm herself down. She sat at the bar with a bowl of fruit. This was normal, she had to keep reminding herself of that. Had she been away this long? She remembers a time she had left for a few days at one time but she had informed the Scions beforehand of her extended leave. She hadn’t informed them this time. 

Y’shtola sat down beside the stressed Lyse with a curious smile upon her face. “T’is good to see you rise so early. What troubles you, Lyse?” 

Lyse sighed, dropping her head down on the counter of the bar. She had pushed the fruit away earlier after eating two pieces, not particularly hungry but instead finding herself toying with the food. “I keep thinking about Phae. She didn’t come back last night.” 

“Do not worry yourself so, Lyse. Mayhaps ‘Phae’ is taking a much needed break.” The Miqo’te comforted. 

“But isn’t this just so strange? She left sometime early in the morning, didn’t say a thing of where she’s going, and hasn’t contacted us at all! What if she’s been killed?” 

“She single-handedly crushes Primals with little more than some aether and a swish of her cane. Do you believe her to fall so easily?” Y’shtola replied in a blunt tone. 

“You’re… right, I suppose. She could’ve been kidnapped…” She mumbled. 

“If it is so worrisome to you, mayhap her Free Company companions have seen of her.” Y’shtola suggested. 

Lyse immediately lifted her head. She hadn’t considered visiting Yggdrasil’s estate and looking for her there. Would she seem to desperate if she showed up uninvited? She wasn’t sure if she even cared, at this point she just wanted to see Nymphaea again and know she was safe. She sat up properly and pulled her bowl over to her, finishing the contents of her bowl. 

“I’ll go do that. If anyone needs me, let them know I’ll be in The Mist.” Lyse announced, putting her bowl away and dashing from the Rising Stones towards the Aetheryte. Y’shtola barely had time to get in a response and simply shrugged, letting the woman run off. 

The sun was up by the time Lyse had made her way to The Mist and located the correct ward. The area was beautiful, she loved to look at the all the unique and interesting estates. But only one caught her attention right now, the estate belonging to Yggdrasil. She tried to look as casual as she could, smiling at the merchants as she walked up the long path towards the estate. It sat right at the edge, overlooking the sparkling ocean that stretched beyond the eye could see. 

Was it okay for her to just show up like this? Before, she was in the company of Nymphaea and Altani, two members of the free company. She stepped through the gate and looked up at the heavy looking door, hesitating. She should just go in, she wouldn’t have been the first, surely. Visitors came and went by all the time, she would assume. 

“Lyse!” She heard a little voice call out from somewhere to the side of her. She looked around, looking for the source. She saw the little Miqo’te alchemist standing beside the chocobo pen, holding out Gyashl greens to a particularly hungry looking chocobo. Beside her stood a tall, sturdy built Roegadyn woman with pale skin and broad features. The two women were attending to the chocobos housed in the stall and Lyse walked over. 

“Oh! You’re.. You’re..” Lyse struggled to remember the woman’s name, but remembered at least that she was the one who Nymphaea had invited over to take care of Altani while she had a hangover. “Frey! That’s right.” She gave her a small, slightly forced smile before turning to the Roegadyn woman, who was looking at her with an uncertain expression upon her face. 

“This is my friend Thorim Stormrider, who we all affectionately call Thor.” Frey introduced. 

Thor held out a hand to shake and Lyse took it, surprised by how gentle and warm her grip was. She expected her to just about break her hand but was instead met by softness she didn’t quite expect. She should have expected that from a woman currently wearing a soft pink sweater and fluffy Moogle slippers. 

“Nice to meet you. You must be the infamous Lyse I’ve heard so much about.” She greeted with a shy smile. 

“Yes, Lyse Hext. Nice to meet you too.” She covered her face with her hand once Thor released her from her grip, covering the burning she felt in her cheeks. She had hoped it was good things spoken about her, but beyond Nymphaea, she didn’t really mind what people said about her. 

“What brings you to the estate?” Frey asked, tossing a Gyashl green to the chocobo, who whistled happily in response. 

“Uh. About that. I was actually coming to ask if you’ve seen Nymphaea. We haven’t been able to contact her since yesterday morning.” Lyse explained. She realised how silly she sounded, only a day had passed and she was already preparing to send out a search party. 

“Nymphaea? Hmm. I can’t recall if I’ve seen her around lately. Not since you all came trudging in drunk in the early hours of the morning.” Frey replied, shaking her head in faux disappointment. “Could’ve come in a little quieter, and perhaps a little cleaner! Hym vomited on his way back in. I heard that man retching the second he stepped inside. He oughta be more careful with how much he drinks.” 

Lyse laughed silently to herself, remembering that Lona and Nymeia would have been the ones to clean up the puke. She almost couldn’t contain her laughter when she thought about just how much puke a man of that size would expel. 

“If I recall, I heard her entering her chambers early this morning. Quite a lot of noise she made, too.” Thorim added. “If you’re here to see her, you can see yourself in if you’d like.” 

“She’s pretty used to guests showing up without prior permission, so don’t worry too much. Her door is probably unlocked too.” Frey added. The two women waved Lyse off as she bid them farewell and entered the estate, walking quickly but casually towards Nymphaea’s private chambers. 

She paused before knocking on the door. She was left contemplating the appropriateness of showing up uninvited when she heard a noise from within, a muffled sound that struck panic in her heart. It was quiet, resembling crying. It was Nymphaea, she was sure of it. She could recognise that cutesy, sweet voice anywhere. More sniffles, more weeping sounds. Lyse didn’t think to knock, she grabbed the doorknob and flung the door open without another thought. She was met with silence. And two pairs of eyes staring at her. A set of unfamiliar, piercing pink eyes, and then the familiar, soft purple eyes. Both looked at her, startled, eyes wide. 

“Uh. Hey Lyse.” Nymphaea greeted, a little unsure of the situation. 

In her hands, she held a pair of small brown pants and a needle. Across from her was an unknown Au’ra with navy coloured hair and slightly tanned skin. She also held a pair of small pants in her hands, needle in the other. The two sat at Nymphaea’s sitting table, textiles, thread, needles and all manner of other weaving materials spread out in front of them. 

“Hey.” She replied, scratching the back of her neck sheepishly. “Sorry for… not knocking. And throwing the door open. And coming unexpectedly without asking.” She mumbled, looking away and fixating her eyes upon the fierce gaze of the Admiral hanging upon the wall. She shuddered and found it less intimidating to stare at the ground. 

“It’s… fine?” Nymphaea placed the tiny pants down on the table, the Au’ra following her lead. She seemed to be startled by the interaction, unsure of what to do with herself. “Any particular reason you came in with such force?” 

“I… I thought I heard crying.” Looking now, Nymphaea didn’t appear to look as if she had been crying at all. Nor did the Au’ra; in fact, they had a slight pinkening on their cheeks that suggested the opposite. But what were those noises she had heard, the whimpering, the sniffling? The two women in front of her shared a look and she felt a pang of something in her chest. 

“We were laughing. Ruuna here made a pretty funny joke.” Nymphaea explained. A small smile crossed the Au’ra’s features and Nymphaea gave her an adorable little smile. Another little pang in her chest. She would not let herself feel jealous. Not just because Nymphaea gave such a sweet smile to another girl who wasn’t her. That would be petty-

“This is my friend Ruuna Lycoris, by the way. She’s another Yggdrasil friend.” Nymphaea interrupted Lyse’s thoughts to introduce the woman in which she had been thinking the slightest of envious thoughts of. 

“Hi Ruuna. I’m Lyse.” She replied, walking over to shake hands with the Au’ra. 

Ruuna looked at her, observing her quickly before she tentatively held out a hand and received her greeting. “Nice to meet you. What brings you to Yggdrasil’s HQ?” She asked Lyse, her tone perhaps sharper than she wished for. 

Lyse eyed her up, feeling the slightest sense of hostility from Ruuna. It could have perhaps been the way she spoke with a hint of coldness in her tone, but Lyse felt uncomfortable and forced a smile. She turned to Nymphaea. “I was worried. We hadn’t heard from you since yesterday morning, and ‘Shtola said you walked off looking a bit distressed. Considering…” She hesitated, her eyes flicking over to Ruuna who was looking on with much interest. “... how our last conversation was, I was worried and… I came to see that you’re okay.” 

“Well, I hope you know that I’m fine!” Nymphaea replied with a sweet smile. “I’m more than fine, actually!”

Ruuna held up the pair of tiny pants and kicked Nymphaea under the table. “Let’s get back to it. We have to finish sewing these before Gaius decides he’s becoming a stripper and walks around pantless.” 

“Take a seat, Lyse.” Nymphaea offered, kicking the cushion out a bit. Lyse sat down and looked at the mess spread out in front of them. “We’re sewing some pants up for Ruuna’s husband.” 

“Husband?!” Lyse spluttered out, covering her mouth in embarrassment afterwards. 

“Yeah. What’s so surprising about that?” Ruuna asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Oh it’s just, it’s… Don’t worry! Nothing is surprising, it’s.” She shut herself up by chewing her bottom lip, refusing to let herself speak. She felt an odd sense of relief, even if she had nothing to back up the feeling of worry she felt. Husband, meaning she was bonded. She held in her sigh of relief. It wasn't even her place to be jealous and possessive of Nymphaea, it wasn't as if they were dating or together. Girls Nymphaea didn't even learn the name of had done more with her than she had. A painful pang kicked her in the gut. Sparring with Hoary Boulder hurt less than the feeling in her gut.

Ruuna laughed, dropping her cold facade. “Relax. It’s okay.” 

“Ruuna is like that sometimes, just relax and be yourself.” Nymphaea comforted, giving Lyse such a warm and sweet smile, radiating such warmth into her that she felt as if the sun had kissed her skin. 

“Does this Gaius guy have no pants? Why do you need to sew so many so quickly?” Lyse asked curiously, reaching out to mindlessly fiddle with a roll of thread. 

“It’s such a long and stupid story.” Ruuna began with a sigh, her face betraying the taunting of her words. She was smiling fondly, as if recalling an amusing story. 

“Tell her, she’ll get such a kick out of it.” Nymphaea giggled, also remembering the story. 

“You won’t believe it. My husband is this little Lalafell man. Yet he acts like a Miqo’te at heart. We were walking over here when he saw a newly built brick wall. He decided he wanted to take it upon himself to scale the wall, launch himself from the top of it and stick the landing.” She shook her head, holding back her laughter. 

“And he did it? You let him do it?” Lyse asked, leaning in closer to hear the rest of the story with great interest. 

“Let him?” She cried out, baffled at such an accusation. “That man was halfway up the wall before I even realised it. He was determined to stick the landing well, and stick it he did. Right into a rose bush!” This caused Nymphaea to erupt into a fit of laughter, dropping the pants and throwing her head back to cackle with laughter. 

“He fell so spectacularly that he ripped up his last good pair of pants! He only had that one pair left, and now it’s all destroyed! I immediately came here to employ Nymphaea’s help in sewing him up a few more pairs of pants. Hopefully these won’t tear or rip, as long as that idiot can keep himself from doing ridiculous stunts.” 

“Excuse me!” A man’s voice shouted from the other side of the wall where the sleeping chambers were. She assumed it to be the man in question, Gaius. “I can hear you, you know! These walls are paper thin.” 

“Hush, this is what you get for destroying your pants!” Ruuna called back in response, a cheeky smirk on her face. “I’m going to go in there and hug him before he starts sulking.” She spoke softer, slipping away from the table and quietly entering the sleeping area. There was a quiet thud sound as Gaius threw himself towards Ruuna and giggling followed. 

Lyse sat quietly, observing Nymphaea who had gone back to sewing. She looked so focussed and careful with each movement, it was hypnotising. Could she have been more subtle with her staring? Perhaps, but she cared not for subtly when she watched the calm and composed Miqo’te sewing away. 

“I’m sorry.” Lyse mumbled sheepishly. “I was so worried about you, and for nothing.” 

“It’s okay, Lyse.” Nymphaea looked up with a soft smile. It felt like bells were ringing in Lyse’s heart, such a simple and small gesture and yet she was feeling something she really wished she wouldn’t. “But you don’t need to worry about me so much. I can handle myself.” 

“I was worried I upset you…” Her bottom lip jut out as Nymphaea met her gaze, giving her a look of concern. 

“I had hoped that night, I had explained myself well enough… But it seems I didn’t. I’m fine, I really am. I just… feel lonely. And feel her absence a lot. But you haven’t upset me, and I’m not going to just run off without a word just because I’m not feeling so great. I’d at least tell someone.” Nymphaea reassured. Her words were reassurance enough, and Lyse smiled gently, feeling a little at ease. 

“Just don’t do that again, okay? You weren’t even replying over linkshell.” She added on. 

“Oh! I took my linkpearl out for a bit and forgot to put it back in. I’m sorry.” The Miqo’te replied sheepishly. “I put it back in just before I started sewing with Ruuna. Anything since late morning yesterday, I wouldn’t have heard.” 

“You are unreal.” Lyse shook her head in disbelief. “You outright took it out… Well, I don’t know of your intentions, but I won’t judge too harshly.” Her small smile grew into a slightly more visible smile. 

Nymphaea looked at her, a peculiar look upon her face. One of observing Lyse and her little smile, one of an emotion the Blonde couldn’t quite pinpoint. “It makes me happy to see you smile, Lyse. After all you’ve been through, we’ve been through… It makes me feel warm inside. It makes me feel like it’ll be okay no matter what happens. It reassures me that you’re okay.” She inhaled deeply, punctuating her sentence with a bright smile. “It’s comfort. I feel like when I go for a day or two, or go on mini vacations away for a while without the Scions… and without you… I find myself looking for something. Missing something.” 

“What are you missing?” Lyse asked, crimson staining her cheeks. 

“You, and your smile. Your joy, your energy, your aura. Something about having you around makes things feel okay. But it's always your smile I find myself wishing I could see again.” 

Lyse paused in disbelief. Nymphaea, the woman who made Lyse’s heart flutter even despite how much she wished to pretend she didn’t, missed her? When she left by her own will, she missed her and thought of her? She covered her face, too embarrassed to look at Nymphaea. Once she removed her hands, she made eye contact with the woman again. A truly genuine smile graced her features, a grin from ear to ear, a smile that reached her eyes and exposed her soul. It was a smile that felt so foreign on her face after all she had endured; a smile that felt wrong and out of place after all she, and they, had endured. But if it were comfort for Nymphaea, if it provided the light for her that she shone on them all, then Lyse would smile for her as long as she needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the end (for now?) until i finish sb,,,, i'm thinking i want to write another part (if i can be bothered to XD) that takes place after sb or something. right now this is kind of set right after the events of hw and going in to sb. whether i write or not depends on how i feel after finishing sb... ;^;
> 
> i'll maybe write a few spin offs revolving around altani and hymwolk, seeing as i never really explored their friendship or the character of altani much. i had such plans for her development as a character but it was hard to execute considering this is in the POV of lyse. so i guess maybe look forward to that?
> 
> on another note, thanks to all the ygg friends who let me use their characters in this fic. y'all are great and i hope i did all of your characters justice, heh.


End file.
